Vietnam’s Mountain Country, Up Close

You set off from the lodge along footpaths on Silver Stone Mount, walking through open hills and stepped rice terraces toward the Red Dao villages of Thanh Kim commune. These villages receive very few tourists compared to the rest of Sapa, which means you get to see daily life as it actually is, rather than a version of it dressed up for visitors. By midday, the route brings you to Lech village, where a local Red Dao family invites you in and serves a meal they have made themselves at their own table. After lunch, the walk continues to a nearby village, and if school is in session, stopping by the classroom gives you a chance to meet H’mong and Red Dao children of different ages, all learning together in one shared room.

Two saltwater pools are built into the mountainside, their layered shape designed to reflect the rice terraces that run down through the valley directly below. Both pools stay clean and warm throughout the year thanks to sustainable water systems that are built to avoid waste. The Rice Spa sits just a short walk away, so you can easily move between a swim and a treatment on the same afternoon without going far at all.

Every evening from 5:00 to 6:00, guests gather on the Sundown Terrace or by the infinity pool for complimentary drinks during golden hour as the sun sets over the Hoang Lien mountains. A local artist plays traditional melodies on the Meo flute while the sky changes colors. After sunset at 7:00, an outdoor bamboo cinema on Grass Hill shows family favorites, Scandinavian films, and movies set in Vietnam with cozy bean bags, blankets, and cheesy popcorn. From 8:00 to 9:00, a bonfire on the Sundown Terrace lets guests roast local treats like sweet potatoes and corn, and if rain comes, everything moves to the Inn Bar to keep the cozy feeling going indoors.

A short drive brings you to Sapa town, where you board the cable car that holds the Guinness World Record as the longest in the world, covering the distance to the mountain station in about 15 minutes. From there, around 700 steps lead up to the summit of Mount Fansipan at 3,143 meters, the highest point in all of Indochina. On a clear day, the view from the top takes in the entire Sapa valley and reaches toward the borders of both China and Laos. The afternoon winds down with a guided walk through Sapa town,  with time to visit the old Catholic Church, the local museum, or the outdoor market before the drive back to the lodge.

The Rice Spa sits in a quiet corner of the lodge, away from the pool and dining areas, where large windows frame views of the Hoang Lien mountains. Treatments use traditional healing methods from ethnic minority communities and ingredients from the surrounding area. The Red Dao herbal bath stands out as the most famous offering, using medicinal plants hand-picked from the forest and boiled in large wooden tubs to ease sore muscles and help circulation. Many treatments also use organic Sapa rice in scrubs and wraps because it softens skin and provides natural benefits. Treatments rooted in local healing traditions like this are part of what our Holistic Wellness trips bring together.

This full-day workshop in Lao Chai Village is led by Black H'mong artisans who teach you how hemp fabric is made, how batik patterns are created, and how cloth is dyed using natural indigo plants. You also learn the meaning behind the most important H'mong folk art symbols and the stories that have kept them alive across generations. A traditional lunch prepared by the artisans breaks up the day, and the session ends with an easy one-hour walk to Ta Van Village, where the car picks you up.

The route follows the main road for three kilometers to Lech village, where you stop to visit a Red Dao family at home and get a close look at a way of life that has stayed consistent across many generations. The ride continues to Ban Moi village for a longer break, where local women can be seen doing the detailed embroidery work that the Red Dao are well known for across the region. Mountain bikes, helmets, water, and an English-speaking guide are all included for the full trip.

Every September, the lodge hosts the Vietnam Mountain Marathon as part of the Vietnam Trail Series organized by Topas Explorer Group. The course moves through Hoang Lien National Park and into remote valleys that are closed to visitors at all other times of the year. Runners come from around the world to take on the terrain and experience Northern Vietnam's mountain landscape in a way that very few other events allow.